Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!
Chapter 53: Who Did This To You?

Chapter 53: Who Did This To You?

Riven was testing him.

And Xavier refused to play.

Roughly, he turned Riven around, keeping his grip firm as he pulled the shirt down his shoulders, careful to slip the sleeves past his bound wrists. He didn’t miss the way Riven shuddered slightly at the contact.

Not from discomfort.

From something else.

Xavier ignored it.

"Awfully rough with me, aren’t you?" Riven teased, voice smooth despite the firm handling. "You’re stronger than you look, Xavier. Oh wait, I mean you look very strong."

Xavier didn’t acknowledge the words.

Didn’t react.

Didn’t give Riven the satisfaction.

Instead, he moved next to remove Riven’s pants.

But the moment he reached for them—

Riven grinned.

A wicked, knowing grin.

Like he had been waiting for this moment.

Like he was enjoying making things as difficult as possible.

Xavier froze.

Just for a second.

And that was all he needed to decide: No.

He wasn’t going to give Riven this victory.

Instead, he grabbed him by the waist, hoisted him up with ease, and—

Threw him over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Riven yelped, completely unprepared for the movement. His body draped over Xavier’s shoulder like he weighed nothing, arms still bound behind his back. "Are you serious?!"

Xavier ignored him.

Marched toward the bathroom.

He could feel Riven’s tail flicking, probably out of both frustration and amusement. He did not hate this! Maybe he should, but he didn’t. He was enjoying being carried by this big strong man.

"You could at least treat me with some dignity," Riven whined, though there was no real complaint in his voice. "At least let me undress myself properly, don’t you think?"

Xavier wasn’t going to think about that.

Didn’t need to.

Because before Riven could get another word in—

Splash.

The next second, Riven was in the bathtub.

The cold bathtub.

His yelping was immediate.

"WHAT—"

Xavier remained silent, standing over the tub with his arms crossed.

Riven’s ears twitched in distress, his tail puffing up as his entire body shivered.

"It’s freezing!" he whined, trying to curl up, trying to escape the cold. His watery green eyes locked onto Xavier with an expression so pitiful it was almost cruel.

His voice was softer this time.

So genuine it made something in Xavier’s chest tighten.

"It’s really cold..."

Xavier almost... almost faltered.

Because damn.

This sheer omega nature Riven had—the way he looked so naturally pitiful—

It wasn’t intentional.

Wasn’t one of his usual teasing games.

And that made it worse.

Because this time, Xavier believed it.

He watched Riven for a long moment.

Then, with no change in expression, he rolled up his sleeves.

Xavier did not understand his own feelings.

He was never the kind of man to dwell on them—never had a reason to.

He followed orders. That was all he knew.

If his master told him to kill, he killed.

If he was ordered to eliminate a threat, he did it swiftly, without hesitation, without regret.

And now, he was a babysitter.

It shouldn’t have been any different.

It wasn’t different.

Then why?

Why was his patience being tested like this?

Xavier gritted his teeth, fingers tightening around the damp cloth in his hand as he continued washing Riven’s bare skin. The half-wolf sat in the bathtub, soaked from the cold water, his usually smug expression now softened by the chill, his emerald green eyes gleaming under the dim light.

It reminded Xavier of the canopy of a forest under the bright sunlight.

Xavier had been careful not to look at him too much when he undressed him.

Not because he was shy—he had seen plenty of naked bodies before, and he couldn’t care less about them.

No.

It was because of that smile.

That teasing, infuriating smile.

Riven had leaned in when Xavier was unbuttoning his shirt earlier. Had dared to get close.

That was the kind of person he was—shameless, bold, and impossible to deal with.

So Xavier avoided looking at him for too long.

Until now.

Now, with Riven half-submerged in the bathtub, wet and shivering, Xavier could see more.

And his throat felt...

Dry.

Riven’s skin was smooth under the water, glistening as the dim candlelight flickered against the dampness. His jet black hair clung to his forehead, strands of obsidian tracing over his delicate features. His ears twitched, flicking away droplets of water.

He looked...

Small.

Vulnerable.

That was wrong.

Riven was not vulnerable.

He was a problem. A manipulator. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, if there ever was one.

And yet—

Xavier’s sharp eyes caught something else.

Something worse.

Across Riven’s back, faint but undeniable, were red marks.

Scars.

Old wounds.

Xavier stilled, his fingers hovering just above them, the cloth in his grip suddenly forgotten.

"...These."

His voice came out more gruff than he intended.

Riven tensed.

The reaction was instant.

His back stiffened, his shoulders locking up like he was bracing for pain.

Not in an exaggerated, dramatic way—

A real, genuine reaction.

Xavier wasn’t sure what to make of it.

His first instinct was that someone had hurt him.

Badly.

Well, he shouldn’t care. He simply had to help Riven get all healed so that he remained spotless for his master.

...But then why did that thought sit so uncomfortably in his chest?

Xavier frowned, lowering the cloth and instead reaching out, pressing his calloused fingers gently against one of the faint scars.

It wasn’t too deep.

Not new, but not old enough to fade completely either.

The moment his fingers made contact, Riven flinched.

Not much.

Just enough.

Xavier narrowed his eyes.

"...Where did these come from?"

Riven didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes lowered, his tail flicking slightly in the water, though there was no longer any playfulness in the movement. Just schemes. How to win over this big hunk? Riven decided to play into his feelings of protectiveness.

Act like a poor little baby that needed to be taken care of.

For a brief second, Xavier thought he might actually tell the truth, a moment of genuinity from Riven? That was new.

"...My family."

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